Havelock Island, A Very Special Destination
The Indiangovernment has been advocating eco-friendly tourism development on
Havelock for a while now, and while it’s the most visited of the islands it sees only a
fraction of the visitors that crowd other island destinations such as Thailand. The pace
of life is slow, the locals are friendly and still not too affected by tourism, and the
facilities are moderately basic for the most part. While many of the lodges have
’resort’ in their names, none come even close, thankfully.
Mid-January until mid-May sees the best weather, and often the best diving
conditions. The days are mostly sunny at this time of year, and the sea sometimes flat
enough to reflect the clouds. The monsoon usually hits around late May, lasting until
the end of July, and is probably the worst time to visit the island – strong winds,
frequent rain and low visibility underwater. August thru November see some
occasional showers and slightly rougher seas, but diving can still be great at this time
of year. The weather often takes a turn for the worse for the month of December
through early January.
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*Radhanagar Beach **(Beach #7) is the most beautiful on the island and was rated as
the best in Asia by *Time *in 2004. Gorgeous, silky white sand backed by a forest that
provides welcome shade looks out over turquoise water, some stretches with a sandy
bottom good for swimming and some with excellent coral reefs that are great for
snorkelling – a great combination indeed. Sunsets here are often spectacular and it’s a
popular time to be at the beach, but be careful not to miss the last trucks back if you’re
not staying here. A man with an elephant walks through the forest occasionally,
offering rides for a fee. Buses run throughout the day until sunset, as do autorickshaws
and shared 4 wheel-drive trucks.***
*Elephant Beach **is further north from Radhanagar and is popular with Indian tourists.
The shoreline here was largely swept away by the 2004 tsunami and the beach is a
fraction of what it used to be; however, the coral here is probably the best on the
island, making this an excellent spot for snorkeling. It’s reachable on foot from Beach
#7 or by fishing boat from the east side of the island; many resorts arrange snorkeling
and diving trips here.
A path to the beach starts from the road to Radhanagar — look for a dip in the road on
a curve where there will usually be a few motorbikes parked. Several paths head off
from this point; ask around for the correct one. The walk is about 30 minutes at an
easy pace with dry weather. Since the tsunami, the path ends in an expanse of uninviting
looking swampy water. Rather than attempting to go around, wade straight
through it — the beach is only 100 meters straight ahead, the water is rarely above
knee-height and the ground is solid. Wear sandals when crossing to avoid sharp
shells. While snorkelling, keep an eye out for the glass-bottom boats!
The diving possibilities around the Andamans are vast and it feels that what has been
discovered is only the beginning. and even that is pretty great. Look for more sites to
open up soon. As of now Havelock is the main center for diving in the island chain. If
you’re an experienced diver, also enquire about dive expeditions, where they will take
you out hunting for new and undiscovered sites. There’s much to find – a manta
cleaning station would be nice.***
*Snorkeling*
Snorkeling is also popular, with several options.
I Radhanagar Beach(Beach #7) has a couple of food shacks at the end of the road
that rent out fins and masks for Rs 50/each. There are great reefs for snorkelling in
both directions from the end of the road.
I Elephant Beach also has some good snorkelling sites.
I Both of the dive shops can also take along snorkelers to some of the off-shore sites.
I Local fishermen offer daytrips and half day trips to different locations. South
Button Island is particularly good as the reef is shallow, colorful and beautiful. It
makes sense to get a group of 5-10 people together to share the cost of the boat.***
*Trekking*
If you’ve had enough of the beach, try a little hot and sweaty jungle trekking. If you’re
into confluence hunting, you can find 12°N 93°E just 800 meters away from the end
of beach #5. Guides can be arranged through resorts,
Resorts are excellent with all facilities. Barefoot Jungle Resort, Wild Orchids Jungle, Symphony Palm Resort etc are great places to stay. Sea food of Havelock Island is too good.